Worthington first suburb to offer wireless zone

Computer-users may now browse the internet or check their e-mail while seated on a bench on the Village Green or at a table on the downtown sidewalk.

The city of Worthington and Harborlink Network LLC, of Dayton, last Friday introduced a Wi-Fi (for wireless fidelity) network which provides internet access along High Street from South Street to Stafford Avenue.

The "hot spot" will be extended to North Street when another transmitter becomes available. The transmitter that was to be installed on the north end of the wireless area is being used in New Orleans to assist in recovery efforts.

The area covered extends for two blocks on each side of High Street. It is meant for outdoor use only, but some people may be able to pick up the signal indoors, said Worthington spokesperson Anne Brown.

Worthington is the first suburb in Ohio to offer a wireless internet zone, said assistant city manager Paul Feldman.

Since word spread that the system was being set up here, other central Ohio communities have contacted him to find out how to sign up for their own systems.

"We were pioneers in 1803, and we are pioneers now with this new technology," he said.

He connected with Harborlink representatives after he heard a presentation on a hot spot it had started last April in a one-square-mile area of Dayton.

Worthington City Council heard the proposal and agreed that, with little cost to the city, there was no reason to not sign up.

Cost to the city is approximately $50 a month to pay for the main line, which enters the city at the Griswold Center.

Shoe-box size boxes which relay signals are attached to traffic signal mast arms at South Village Green Drive and South Street. The power they use is similar to that used by a light bulb, Feldman said.

"Whether this is sustainable long-term, who knows," he said. "Worthington is not at risk, so why not do it?"

Users need a laptop computer, pocket personal computer, or personal digital assistant with a wireless networking card to use the network.

To connect, choose "harborlink" on the computer screen. A greeting page will appear and will pop up on the screen every 12 minutes.

That page now has the city logo, local links, and information such as weather. Eventually, it may have sponsors and advertisers, which will pay for the system.

Brochures with more information about the wireless system are available at downtown businesses in Columbus Ohio.